Cat Safety

Cats should not be allowed to roam freely outdoors. They should be kept indoors and maybe allowed in an enclosed screened area for short periods of time outdoors. There are leashes available if you would like to take your cat for a walk outside.

Everyone who has been exposed to a cat’s behavior knows there is no place inside the home that a cat will not explore. They are avid climbers and like to investigate just about anything.

Take time to look around your home, trying to think like a cat, and see what might be of interest and then consider if it is harmful. If you are able you can tell best if you are down on your hands and knees so you can see better exactly what your cat is seeing. Since your cat does not know what might be harmful it is up to you to be sure your home is cat proof.

Cats are smart and can learn to open a cabinet door. If you are storing chemicals or other cleaning supplies in your cabinet put some child proof locks on these cabinets. Then you can be sure the cat cannot get into these cabinets and ingest any substances that are harmful to him

There are plants which are toxic to cats and if you have them in your home it is almost impossible to be sure the cat won’t get curious and sample the plant. It’s better to keep harmful plants out of the home. These include tomatoes, lilies, poinsettia, philodendron, mistletoe, azaleas, daffodils and hydrangeas. Instead plant some cat friendly grass for your cat to enjoy.

Be sure all medications are locked away. A child proof pill bottle is not necessarily a chew proof container. If you drop a pill be sure to pick it up.

Keep any dangling cords on curtains or blinds tied up and away from your cat. If your cat is a chewer then you may want to use a cord protector for your electrical cords. Or, you may want to cover the electrical cords with an unpleasant tasting substance such as hot sauce or one of the products available at the pet store for this purpose. Unplug appliances not in use.

If you have some valuable glass or china treasures it is prudent to put these away from the curious cat. He may accidentally knock them over and break the item and injury himself.

If you have a kitten around you may want to take the cloth off the table when not in use. A kitten may try to climb up a tablecloth, pull it off, and damage whatever is on the table as well as hurt himself.

Likewise, be sure to keep the toilet seat lid down to prevent a nosey kitten from falling into the water.

Cats love to crawl into enclosed spaces so keep the lids closed on both the washer and dryer and check inside before turning either of them on.

There are all kinds of things around your home a cat might find interesting, but that might hurt him. You need to be careful they are safely put away. Things like paper clips, pins, erasers, plastic bags, ornaments, Easter basket grass, razors, cotton balls, tinsel from trees. staples. twist ties and much more can all be harmful if your cat decides to chew on them or even eat them.

Keep your kitchen counter free of any sharp objects which may hurt the cat. He may stay off the counter when you are around, but when the cat is alone he may decide it is a good place to explore.

Provide toys to keep your cat occupied and interested so he is not anxious to find his own activities using items in the home. Your cat, in addition to toys, may appreciate a box to cuddle inside, a cat tree to climb, or a window where he can watch all the interesting things going on outside.